An important goal in playing sports in to win. Often that means proper play execution, good ball control, good grip and feel, and proper form in the sports fundamentals. Gloves and other types of hand covers are permitted in most sports. Many individuals use gloves to enhance, in some way, their competitive edge. Indeed, gloves have become so important that different types of gloves have been created for different sports. Even within a sport, different types of gloves have been invented to, among other things, maximize performance in specific tasks.
In football, for example, there are gloves that offensive and defensive Tackles can wear, that have thick padding around part of the hand. Offensive Receivers can purchase more expensive, all closed-finger, thin gloves to enhance their ability to catch and grip a football.
The use of gloves in football is so widespread that nearly every football player uses them, with the notable exception of football quarterbacks. You rarely see a quarterback wear gloves, even if just to keep warm. Most quarterbacks choose to play football without gloves. This is largely because prior art consists of generic full-fingered gloves which are uncomfortable and burdensome on a quarterback's dominant (throwing) hand, particularly on those fingers a quarterback places over the football laces. In addition, the full-fingered gloves prevent a quarterback to have any ‘feel’ of the ball.
Playing the position of quarterback without the help of gloves, however, can also be an inferior choice. The website Wikihow.com, provides a good description of the conventional way to hold and throw a football. “Throwing the football is simple. Put your non-throwing side foot in front of you. Have your Pinkie, Ring and Middle fingers around the laces with your Index [Forefinger] finger on the strap. Put the other hand up on the ball. Put the ball up by your ear. Twist your hips toward the front foot. Throw the ball at the receiver.” Whereas, the fingers over the laces have a solid grip on the ball—primarily due to the football laces on the ball—the two fingers off the laces (forefinger and thumb) are virtually unsupported and therefore have a relatively weaker grip, creating a weak overall grip on the football.
This weak overall grip becomes more pronounced when added stress is placed on the Thumb or Forefinger. When a quarterback, intending to pass the football, for example, suddenly has to scramble, or if the quarterback ‘pumps’ the ball (goes through all the motions and speed of throwing the ball but doesn't actually release the ball), the grip strength of the Thumb and Forefinger can determine whether or not a quarterback fumbles the ball. Also, if one performs a simple test and wets his/her dominant hand, and then grabs and pumps a football, the forefinger and thumb will often move or slip. On a wet football field, during extreme weather conditions (hot or cold), that weaker or looser grip makes for a much more difficult completed pass, less success at throwing a spiral, and inconsistency and inaccuracy in passing.
Under the ‘tips’ section of Wikihow.com, it further describes proper football throwing form: “A proper throw will feel like it's only utilizing the Thumb, Index [Forefinger], and Middle finger. Good release will ‘roll’ off of your Index and Middle finger, to impart more spin; you may snap your wrist through as you follow through to the hip. The other three fingers on your hand stabilize the ball as its being flung. They should not be used to impart spin on the ball. The most important finger to throwing a spiral is the Index finger; it is the finger that holds the most leverage in putting spin on the ball.”
In the field of Golf, to be sure, there exists much prior art in the form of hand covers for a golfer's weak (non-dominant) hand. In fact most active golf players wear a glove on their weak hand, and go without a glove for their strong hand (if one were to go to any major store to buy golf gloves, they would be sold and packaged in singles—one glove—not sold in pairs). Gloves are prevalent in golf largely because of the role that hand grip and control play in a golfer's overall performance.
Although there exist many types of full-fingered gloves for a golfer's weak-hand, they all attempt to maximize a golfer's weak-hand grip without regard to a golfer's weakhand feel, and hand coordination needs. It is no surprise, therefore, that prior art consists of full-fingered (all fingers are covered), closed palm (entire palm is essentially all covered) gloves. As a result, a typical golfer must rely on his/her weak-hand to provide most of the grip support, and on his strong-hand to provide all of the ‘feel’ in his golf swing. There is, therefore, an opportunity to invent a device—and improve prior art—that could offer some ‘feel’ ability for the weakhand, without significantly diminishing that enhanced grip ability that hand covers offer. This would increase overall hand control of a golfer's club swing, and therefore greater success in competition.
Whereas weak-hand support products seem to be crowded in the sport of Golf, there is a long existing need for a device that could offer added support for a golfer's stronghand without significantly diminishing its ability to adequately feel the golf club. Inventing a solution to this problem could, among other things, allow for greater golf swing control and consistency, and create an entirely new market because that would support a golfer's strong-hand.
In Golf magazine's April 2005 article titled “Fix your grip. The wrong grip can cripple your swing—Here's the cure”, golf instructor Charlie King provides an overview of how to grip a golf club. “Good golf starts with your grip. The proper hold on the club helps you do three crucial things: Hinge your wrists, control the club face at impact and support the club throughout the swing. Here are three simple grip tips.” As King continues, his third tip is “both hands; solid at the top. An effective grip sets the face square at the top, with the shaft parallel to the target line. You should feel most of the club's weight in your left Thumb and right Forefinger. Now you're ready to turn it loose.” Although prior art seems to be crowded in offering a hand cover for the weak-hand, to support and better control the club weight placed on the Thumb of the weak-hand, there remains an unmet need for added support on or around the Forefinger of the strong-hand. Additionally, constant swinging of a golf club at real swing speeds often results in soreness on and between the Thumb and Forefinger of a golfer's strong hand (wearing no glove). This soreness can often also come from the rubbing or slipping, between the club handle and the strong-hand, suggesting a need to find a way to increase the grip of a golfer's strong hand. This is especially important in the sport of golf because even the smallest of slipping—during the golf swing or upon impact of the golf ball—can create enormous inconsistencies and inaccuracies, critical issues in determining overall performance.
Consequently, there are clear indications that an entirely new market exists for a device that could support a golfer's strong hand (not just a golfer's weak-hand). In particular there remains an unrecognized problem and an unmet need that would provide multiple benefits, such as better overall grip, more coordination with both hands, as well as some protection from any constant grip slipping, during the practice or play of golf, and in various other sports activities.
In the sport of Basketball, there is not prior art when it comes to hand covers to enhance performance, or even simply for aesthetic purposes, and/or that may be used during actual game play.
One clear hand task in basketball is in shooting the basketball with the intention of making a score or basket. Conventional jump-shot shooting form requires, among other things, that the player hold the basketball largely with the fingertips of both hands, and creating a small opening—or a shooter's gap—between the ball and the palm area of the player's strong-hand. No prior art exists that would assist an athlete in maintaining or learning to maintain this shooter's gap
No prior art exists that would provide an athlete with the ability to have enhanced control when dribbling a basketball. A typical game—even a professional game—often can have as many as 30 turnovers (combined), so offering art that could increase ball control while dribbling, passing or even catching a basketball could significantly enhance performance by, among other things, minimizing turnovers. For example, minimizing turnovers by offering better ball control while dribbling a basketball would dramatically enhance player performance generally, including those players playing the position of Guard.
Although athletes playing the position of Forward or Center would also benefit by enhanced dribbling abilities, most of the turnovers caused by Forwards and Centers are often the result of dropping passes thrown to them, or from making a bad pass. Offering art that would enhance the ability to better pass or catch a basketball could therefore also enhance overall performance for anyone playing the sport of basketball.